America has the highest pet-ownership per capita, but how can one reach this demographic for pet photography? Craig Turner-Bullock has had a 20-year successful career with his pet photography company Furtography. For him, his secret to booking in clients is in attending strategic in-person events and making connections in the right way.

Turner-Bullock chooses a few events per year that focus on pet owners. While he’s there, he takes photos of animals on the fly and posts them to his Facebook account. In this way, pet owners have instant proof that he is able to build instant rapport with their animals and capture great shots of them. This alone often makes them curious to book a full pet photography shoot with him.

When it comes to commercial companies, Turner-Bullock uses an even softer sell. He likes to first think about which vendors he’d like to connect with. Then, knowing they are busy at events and it’s not an ideal time to talk business, he’ll gift them a sweet treat and an invitation to meet up for coffee to talk business. Turner-Bullock started by working with small businesses and from there caught the attention of mid-size businesses and then larger corporations.

In addition to shooting pictures for private clients, Turner-Bullock has released several pet photography books, has online classes on pet photography with his company Unleashed, and is a judge for The Portrait Masters Awards & Accreditation. You can learn more about him and his career journey in his recent appearance on The Portrait System Podcast and in the bonus Q&A below.

What has been your biggest breakthrough in business?  

I’ve had a few amazing opportunities in the 20+ years I’ve been a pet photographer. Moving from the tiny island of Guernsey in the English Channel to New Zealand was a huge opportunity. My three bestselling books were incredible projects to work on with my publisher. They definitely helped raise awareness of me as a pet photographer in New Zealand, and the first two raised well over $30,000 for animal rescue organizations, too. But I think the thing that probably had the biggest impact on my business was changing my mindset around what it is acceptable to charge as a photographer. Once I valued myself and my work, my business really became something I could actually make a living from. 

What is your average sale currently?  

At the moment, my average sale with private clients is a little under $4,200.  

Most artists have had a point in their life when they knew this was meant for them. Did you have that moment?  

I’ve always had the desire to create art of some kind ever since I was a child. In my teens I loved painting and photography, and when I finally connected my love of animals and photography, I knew that is what I needed to do with my life. I’ve never looked back, and at this point, it’s basically an obsession that I make a living from!  

How did you push past fear when building your business?  

Oh gosh, there’s nothing like a little fear to push me to get on with it (except people telling me I can’t or shouldn’t do something) and get me motivated! I’m a walking cliche, so here’s where I say nothing good comes from your comfort zone. Feel the fear and do it anyway — I try and remember that when I’m afraid to do something!  

Making a connection with your subject is one of the most important parts of a great portrait. How do you make lasting connections with your clients?  

I guess this is where my business is a little different from those who photograph people for a living! For me, it’s usually by bribing them with snacks, making stupid noises or giving them a good belly rub! Don’t do that with your human clients, please! Seriously though, working with pets is mostly about knowing how to understand their body language and what their motivators are. It’s not until you understand those principles that you can truly connect with them. Ultimately, there is a human at the end of the leash, too, and I do have to make a connection with them. Dogs don’t have thumbs, so they aren’t great with a credit card! Usually, our connection is a shared love of dogs or the amazing chocolate brownies my pâtissier husband makes that I give them at the studio, so I suppose that is kind of bribery in a way.  

For someone starting out on their photography journey what advice would you have for them?  

I guess I’ve touched on this already, but valuing yourself and your work, charging what you need to charge to actually make a living and knowing your numbers to be able to make that happen. But the biggest thing for me is to be yourself. Forget about pleasing as many people as possible and saying yes to everything. Be unapologetically you. The people who appreciate that are the ones who will REALLY value you and your work. It’s those clients that matter most. 

Do you regret any decisions you have made in your business?   

Life is too short for regrets! Every decision I’ve made and action I’ve taken, whether it turned out well or not, has led me to this point, and right now, I’m very happy with where I’m at. If you really push me for an actual answer, I’d say I wish I went full time with my business a lot sooner. 

Everyone has a favorite shoot. Tell us about yours and why it’s your favorite.  

I could talk about so many amazing places and dogs I’ve photographed. I’ve been so fortunate in my career. Three sessions immediately spring to mind. Sorry, it’s not one, can you tell I’m a talker?!  

1. Photographing Tallulah, a French Bulldog at the Louvre in Paris. She changed the way I shoot. I had to think on my feet to capture her amongst the grandeur of the glass pyramids and old architecture. Thanks to that session, I ended up creating a whole new service for clients, my “Dogoramas,” which are panoramic shots of dogs within a landscape, presented on large format metallic acrylics. I love them! Tallulah’s session also solidified my goal for a huge personal project I’ve been working on since 2018, “Dogs of the World.” 
2. A shoot with the avalanche rescue dogs up on a glacier here in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It was a job for the global launch of Fujifilm’s XH-2s camera. Working dogs just amaze me, and I’m always so inspired seeing what they are capable of and how much enthusiasm they have for their jobs. And when the location is so breathtaking, how could I not include it!
3. A shoot with one of the rarest dog breeds in the world today, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. The session was also for “Dogs of the World,” and it took place at their ancestral home, a beautiful estate in Scotland. The breed is so endearing and quirky. I loved them. (OK, maybe I say that too often, but I really mean it every time.) Their owners were a delight and were so knowledgeable about the dogs. We had special permission to shoot at the estate, and I got to meet the duke and duchess who call it home. It was their ancestors who originated the breed. It was one of those sessions where everything came together perfectly and was just absolutely magical – helped of course by an almost mythical breed! 

What fellow artists in the industry do you gain the most inspiration from?  

Well, I always look outside of pet photography for inspiration. It becomes very insular and repetitive when you only look within your own niche for inspiration. That’s not to say there aren’t pet photographers I adore. Of course, Kaylee Greer and Alicia Zmyslowska are the best in the business. But at the moment, I’m inspired by a lot of wedding and wildlife photography. I also love the work of Stéphane Sednaoui, Pierre et Giles and Elliott Erwitt. Closer to home, I am hugely inspired by fellow Kiwi photographers Richard Wood, who The Portrait Masters community will be very familiar with, and Esther Bunning, both of whom have an ability to think outside the box that is absolutely aspirational. 

How has The Portrait Masters changed your life for the better?  

I’ll put my judges hat on for this one! I absolutely love seeing the images that are put through to the awards. It’s a courageous thing to put your work into competitions to be judged, and I find that inspiring. Providing feedback that can help others excel in their craft is a position I never expected to be in and one I’m very grateful for. 

Where do you see your business in the next five years?  

I’m working on a major project at the moment, “Dogs of the World,” that I’m very excited about. It’s taken me a long time to build the image portfolio, and I will be finished in another year or so. Seeing where that might take me is very exciting. Then beyond that, I have no shortage of ideas for future projects. So, I don’t see things being vastly different in another five years. Shooting personal projects, working with my clients and helping students in the Unleashed Education platform I run with my good friend and amazing pet photographer, Charlotte Reeves. Perhaps there will be a little more travel and a new house in Arrowtown, which is one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand. I’d love to settle down there. 

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